1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device, an imaging method, and a recording medium for capturing a three-dimensional field of view.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic movable object, such as an automobile, a vehicle or a robot, is required to constantly monitor its surroundings to run safely on a predetermined route and to recognize a stop plate or a sign board indicating a stop position in a forward direction to stop in front of the stop plate.
To achieve such requirements, automatic movable objects are provided with various types of cameras that enable automatic drive.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-97914 discloses a stereo camera to detect a position of a moving subject, although the publication does not disclose an automatic movable object. The stereo camera captures a three-dimensional field of view and can determine a position of the subject or a distance thereto from a pair of acquired image data sets.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-169233 discloses an automobile equipped with a wide-angle camera and a high-resolution camera. The automobile is configured to capture a wide field of view from the wide-angle camera and a high-resolution field of view from the high-resolution camera so that the automobile can run in accordance with surroundings or states on the road ahead of the automobile.